Preview: Chivas USA vs. San Jose

Chivas USA and the San Jose Earthquakes renew their California rivalry at midweek when the clubs meet at The Home Depot Center on Wednesday evening. Chivas put an end to a three-game losing streak at the weekend, playing to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire. The Quakes have reached back-to-back draws after a 2-2 tie at home with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday.

Mariano Trujillo’s goal in the 85th minute gave Chivas USA a 2-1 victory against San Jose in their first meeting this season, April 23 at Buck Shaw Stadium.

San Jose’s 3-0 win at Buck Shaw Stadium last Oct. 20 was the first for the Quakes against Chivas USA since the 2005 season. Chivas USA had won four of the six games in between, with two draws.

When San Jose left the league following the 2005 campaign, they did so having never lost to Chivas (2-0-2).

After being shutout in their first four meetings against Chivas USA after their return to the league, the Quakes have scored eight goals in the last four contests. Five of those have come from Chris Wondolowski, including a hat trick in the second meeting last year.

The Earthquakes took the lead in the 16th minute through 2010 Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski. Ramiro Corrales corralled a half-cleared corner kick on the right side and delivered a looping cross to Khari Stephenson near the penalty spot. Stephenson’s header found a wide-open Wondolowski, who popped a close-range over goalkeeper Dan Kennedy from an acute angle near the end line.

During first-half stoppage time, Chivas USA drew level. Heath Pearce delivered a free kick from out near the right touchline and Alejandro Moreno rose from a crowd at the spot got off just enough of a header to flick the ball neatly inside the far post.

The game-winner came five minutes from the end as a pair of substitutes combined. Justin Braun beat two Quakes defenders down the right wing before driving an angled shot toward the far post. Quakes 'keeper Jon Busch was able to get a hand to it, but the rebound was diverted home by Mariano Trujillo from close range.

Chivas USA had their winless run extended to four games but stopped a three-game losing streak, playing to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA have 18 points from 16 games on the season, in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference.

LAST MATCH

The Fire opened the scoring in the 26th minute. Patrick Nyarko laid a ball in behind the Chivas USA back line for Dominic Oduro and he simply raced away down the left, clipping the ball past goalkeeper Dan Kennedy from a difficult angle after a 50-yard run.

But seconds into the second half Chivas USA found their equalizer when Nick LaBrocca turned at the edge of the area and fired a shot that dipped under the crossbar and beat Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser made two changes to the team that fell 3-2 to Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Michael Lahoud came back in for Ante Jazic in the back and Simon Elliott replaced Ben Zemanski in midfield.

While Chivas USA were able to put the brakes on a three-game losing slide, they still have just one win in their last eight games, since the middle of May.

“As a group, we’re still putting it all together; we’re leaving it all on the field and I think fans can see how good we can be. We’re working to get where we need to be for 90 minutes and we’re so close, I really feel like we are,” said goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

Chivas USA have allowed 12 goals in the first half – tied for fourth-most in MLS this season – and have led just three games at halftime (1-1-1).

“We found ourselves down but full credit to the team for coming out of the locker room with a very aggressive mentality and getting an early strike to tie the game up,” said head coach Robin Fraser. “From there, I think we did pretty well for most of the half in finding some decent chances. Overall, it was fair; at times it was good, and at other times it wasn’t good enough.”

In the week leading up to the Chicago match, Fraser played around with changing his system, but in the end maintained the same scheme he’s used all season.

“To be honest, a lot of what we experimented with we decided not to go with because I think the team is pretty comfortable in terms of how we play and what we do,” Fraser said. “Our decision ultimately was that we're comfortable doing what we do and we've been doing it for five months now. To go ahead and try to change it in a week probably isn't the wisest thing.”

Nick LaBrocca has nearly equaled his career total in goals in 2011, after scoring his fourth of the year in the 1-1 tie with Chicago. In his first four MLS seasons (three with Colorado, one with Toronto FC), LaBrocca scored five goals.

After making his first appearance following a four-match absence while on international duty, Andrew Boyens was not in the 18-man gameday roster.

“When we play well, we do definitive things very well,” Fraser said. “But we're still in that up-and-down stage where some weeks it's good and some weeks it's bad. Some minutes it's good, some minutes it's bad. ... We need to realize that when we play well, we are a good team and we can be dangerous.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes played to a second consecutive draw in a big game, ending in a 2-2 tie with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday evening at Stanford Stadium. The Quakes have 21 points from 16 games on the season, sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference.

LAST MATCH

The Red Bulls took the lead in the seventh minute through Joel Lindpere. Roy Miller sent a dipping cross into the box and Lindpere's first effort ricocheted off Earthquakes defender Ramiro Corrales and back to Lindpere’s feet. He made no mistake with the second, cutting it inside the far post.

The Quakes used some good fortune to pull even in the 37th minute. Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul came off his line to grab a corner but couldn’t handle the ball, dropping it on a high bounce for Khari Stephenson, who banged it back into the goal.

San Jose then jumped into the lead at the three-quarter mark of the game, Steven Lenhart slipping between the Red Bulls' central defenders to head home a cross from Steven Beitashour well out on the right flank.

But Lindpere completed his double five minutes from the end, firing a shot from outside the area that took a deflection off defender Bobby Burling before wrong-footing Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.

Earthquakes boss Frank Yallop made one change to the team that reached a scoreless draw with the LA Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium. Chris Wondolowski came back from international duty in place of Bobby Convey.

The Quakes have still lost just once over their last nine games. The New York game drew the third-largest crowd in club history, and the largest for a non-doubleheader match, 41,028 at Stanford Stadium.

“Overall, we were very disappointed not to get the three points at home but getting at least one point is still a plus. We were disappointed to concede a late goal, but the nature of a deflected shot is always hard to track,” Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop said. We played well in the second half, but I think in the first half we were not at our best, but still in the game.”

After going two games without a goal, San Jose and Steven Lenhart scored in the 2-2 tie Saturday with New York. Lenhart has scored all five of his goals this season over the last five games.

“I thought [Steven] Lenhart played very well today. He held the ball up, he was dangerous. That was a great finish on his goal and an excellent ball by Steven Beitashour,” said Yallop. “He is in great form right now and he has been finding ways to score.”

Fullback Steven Beitashour now leads the Quakes with three assists, in just seven appearances. He did not record an assist in his first season a year ago.

“I love playing with Beita (Steven Beitashour). It was a good ball he fed me, and it wasn’t even one of his best crosses,” Lenhart said. “He really helps our team. He plays hard and he is a great defender. He is a hard worker. As he gets forward, he gets more comfortable; he served me a great ball on that play. I just tried to get after it and stay in the box and finish off his cross.”

The Quakes again had Chris Wondolowski available after he missed four games while on U.S. national team duty for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“Chris [Wondolowski] probably played better when he was up front,” Yallop said. “I thought he did well; he had a great chance to score, obviously when he hit the post, which surprised me when he didn’t score. He usually buries those. I was happy with his play.”